Nerds and Officers
by TerryJ
Summary: Early in the series Teal'c once said, "It is our way that the strong defend the weak." A hero's actions don't always need to be big to make a difference.


_Rewatching Season 6 and out of nowhere this little thing popped into my head. Set shortly after Allegiance and not long after The Other Guys._

* * *

Coombs kept his eyes down as he entered the SGC commissary.

Normally he packed a lunch and ate it in his lab but he had been so shaken up after his and Felger's little adventure that he hadn't been able to bring himself to do leave the comfort and security of his couch and Star Trek tapes. Hence, it didn't take long for him to run out of food at home and today he had resigned himself to eating alongside the intimidating military forces of the SGC.

Most of the folks on the base were good people and understood the scientific nature of their exploits meant a certain number of civilian scientists roaming the halls. They generally tolerated him by letting him exist as an anonymous, if not invisible, presence.

However, a small number of base personnel seemed to retain the personalities of high school jocks. Although they would never go out of their way to outright belittle or harass him, Coombs could easily read the lack of respect in the smirks, eye rolls and occasional blocking the hallway with their massive forms.

It was because of those few that he tried to avoid places where the military personnel congregated, such as the commissary. He had hoped he'd be able to go to lunch at one of the times when it was quiet but his hunger had gotten the best of him at the worst time so he was stuck desperately trying to just blend in as he waited in the dinner hour line.

"So then Pierce has to tell O'Neill that the damn thing stole his GDO."

Coombs felt his heart quicken at the voices that entered the room; it was members of SG-5. He swallowed a dismayed hiccup; of all the teams on the base why did it have to be _them_ standing behind him?

"Oh man. I would _NOT_ want to be in his shoes at that moment!"

Coombs tried his best to relax. As long as they were gossiping about something else they wouldn't be paying any attention to him.

"Yeah, I've seen O'Neill pissed before. It is not a pretty sight."

"I heard he killed a guy on K'Tau for blowing up the rocket they were building last year."

"No, no I heard he beat him to a pulp with his bare hands."

"I thought he just shot the guy. Whatever, point is, O'Neill is not someone to piss off."

Coombs had to agree with that. He had seen O'Neill angry. Angry at him. Because he had been an idiot and followed Felger instead of following O'Neill's orders. The colonel hadn't shot them but Coombs wasn't so sure he would have blamed O'Neill if he had. Sure, Coombs had lowered the shields for them and Felger had gotten them their weapons back but they were SG-1; they would have gotten out of that mess with out any help. And they wouldn't have needed to waste time risking their necks to come and save him from the Jaffa knocking down the door.

He knew Felger was put out that they hadn't received some kind of official accolade but Coombs found it reward enough, if not a minor miracle, that he was still breathing, not to mention employed at the SGC.

_*crash*_

Okay, not good to be thinking about dying or being fired while trying to pick up a cup of jell-o. His shaking hands had knocked over half a dozen of the glass cups and shattered his hopes of maintaining his invisibility. He gave an apologetic look to the mess officer who released a long suffering sigh and shooed away Coomb's attempt to straighten up the mess he made.

Resigned, he stepped back...right into Captain Soong and the other two SG-5 members he had been hoping to avoid.

"A little jumpy there?" _'foureyes, nerd, geek'_ Coombs' mind supplied the unsaid but implied insult as Soong's hands landed on his shoulders. "Nothing to be afraid of in there." the captain taunted, a smirk on his lips.

Coombs cleared his throat but could think of nothing to say so he hurriedly stepped back into line, blindly accepted the plate of hot food placed on his tray and retreated as fast as he could to an empty table.

"Unbelievable." He could hear the snickering as the military men loaded up their own trays.

"I tell you what's unbelievable, that guy was one of the nerds with that whole SG-1 thing last week."

"Ohhhh you mean the idiots who tried to 'save them'?"

"Yeah. I heard they basically botched the whole mission and that it was only because Major Carter stuck up for them that O'Neill didn't leave them stranded on the planet."

Well, _that_ wasn't true. The mission was botched because the tok'ra's cover had been blown from the start, and O'Neill wasn't going to leave them there, he actually came back for him. Of course Coombs wasn't about to explain that to SG-5.

"Well that makes sense. She_ is_ a scientist."

"A badass scientist who is a better shot than you."

There was a guffaw, "True, but a scientist none the less. Have you heard her ramble on? I bet she drives O'Neill crazy."

Coombs squeezed his eyes shut as he realized the only tables with 3 seats available were at his and the table next to him. He considered it a small blessing that the 3 meatheads choose to sit at the other table as opposed to actually with him. Unfortunately it was still close enough that he could hear them; and they knew it.

"I mean scientists are supposed to be smart, right? What were they thinking? That was some grade-A dumbass actions on their part."

"You know, The SGC has gotten lax with who gets to come on board. Someone like that," The lieutenant clearly indicated Coombs, "Should never be going off world. Physically, mentally whatever. There needs to be standards."

"Yeah, I heard they were sneaking around in Jaffa armor; how do you suppose that worked? They find the only short and round Jaffa in the galaxy?"

The table fell into laughter.

"Hey, maybe they were jaffa nerds! It can't just a human problem!"

More laughter and guffaws.

"Can you picture it? Breaking into a room to find it full of Jaffa with thick glasses and inhalers, sitting around a board game?"

"Oh geeze, that's awesome! What if..."

Suddenly the speaker cut himself off, clearing his throat. When no one else spoke Coombs looked up to see the reason why; Jack O'Neill was walking toward them with his own tray and stack of folders.

Soong moved his pile of napkins away from the spare chair at their table but the Colonel walked right by without a glance. Instead, he stopped at Coombs' table.

"This free?" He indicated the chair across from the scientist.

Unsure as to what was happening Coombs just gave a wide eyed nod which was apparently enough as O'Neill set down his tray and paperwork and pulled out the chair. If that were not odd enough, O'Neill moved one of his two glasses of jell-o from his own tray to Coombs'.

"You forgot to actually take one." He smirked before turning his full attention to the food in front of him.

Coombs looked first at him and then at the jell-o and then back to him. O'Neill had seen him knock over the shelf? And brought him a replacement cup? What was happening?

O'Neill seemed not to notice Coombs' reduction to a catatonic state as he pulled out one of the folders and began reading intently, occasionally make notes in between bites of mashed potatoes.

Coombs looked around but his observations didn't make any sense; Reynolds was in the corner at an otherwise empty table with an available chair. There was a free chair with the CO of SG-2. Major Davis also was at a table with a couple of empty chairs. Coombs looked back in front of him. Yet Colonel O'Neill was eating dinner here, with him.

Not entirely sure what was going on but sensing that it would not serve him well to ask any questions, Coombs slowly began to dig into his own food, eyes still fixated on the bowed head of the man across from him.

They ate in silence and Coombs imagined to an outside observer that O'Neill's relaxed posture might actually lead one to believe that the senior officer was actually eating with him. That they were having dinner _together._

Before Coombs was able to make any sense of it O'Neill heaved a sigh and flipped the folder closed and stuffed his pen back in his pocket before tossing back the last of his jello. With as little preamble as when he arrived he stood and collected his things before giving Coombs a short nod, "See ya around Simon."

_'He knows my name? My first name?!'_ He was so bewildered by that bit of information that he almost missed the look on O'Neill's face as he turned to face the members of SG-5 sitting at the other table.

"Captain." was all he drawled out tersely but the collective widening of the eyes at the table made it clear that the silent reprimand had been heard. O'Neill smirked back at Coombs before ditching his tray and leaving the room.

The three members of SG-5 made short work of the remainder of their meals and made to leave, each making eye contact with Coombs and offering a hesitant "Doctor." in acknowledgement before heading out the door.

Coombs took in a shaky breath and looked around the bustling commissary. Most people were engrossed in their own happenings but a few, a few were looking at him but it wasn't with scorn, annoyance or disrespect...

Perhaps tomorrow he would come back for lunch.


End file.
